1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electronic flash unit serving both as the transmitter of a remote control device and a flash unit for flash photography.
2. Summary of the Invention
The present invention, has, for its object, to provide an electronic flash unit which can decrease the quantity of flash light when used as the transmitter of a remote control device and can increase the quantity of flash light when used as the flash unit for photography and which permits the change-over between the two modes of use to be accomplished by the connection or the disconnection of the flash unit to the synchro contacts of a camera.
According to the present invention, the electronic flash unit comprises a power source, a flash discharge tube, a discharging circuit having an interlocking switch adapted to be closed in response to electrical connection of the flash unit to the synchro contacts of a camera body, the discharging circuit producing a greater magnitude of discharging current for the flashing of the flash discharge tube during closing of the switch than during the opening of the switch, and a trigger circuit having an extraneously operable trigger switch and effective to trigger the flash discharge tube to effect the discharge of the discharging circuit, whereby the quantity of flash light emitted from the flash discharge tube when the connection of the flash unit to the synchro contacts of the camera body is broken is less than that when the connection is established.
The above object and other features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description of some embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.